The
association of the Local Democracy Agencies (ALDA) made a decision
to open the first LDA outside South East Europe in Kutaisi. The
Kutaisi-Newport Twinning played a great role for this decision and
we are proud that the Association will be involved into the ALDA
activity. On February 21, a meeting of potential partners of the
new Agency was held in the premises of the Council of Europe in
Strasbourg. Representatives of the cities of Nantes Strasbourg
(France) and Newport (UK) together with the Mayor of Kutaisi and
Chair of the KNIA, M. Megrelishvili and other local partners from
Georgia gathered to discuss an action plan of the opening and
future activities of the Agency. The meeting was also attended by
the representatives of KS the Norwegian Association of
Municipalities; Nalag, the Association of Georgian Municipalities
as well as by Permanent Representatives of the member countries of
the Council of Europe. The LDA office in Kutaisi will be opened by
summer 2006. The first projects foreseen include women and youth
improvement, local capacity building in the areas of participatory
planning processes, waste management, budget management, local
economic development and the exchange of best practices with the
international partners. Through 2006 ALDAs communication and press
work will be focused on Georgia to raise the visibility of the new
Agency. On 31 May 2006, an information day ''Georgia: Two years
after the Rose Revolution" will be organized in Strasbourg also
participate itself in conferences and seminars related to Georgia.
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